Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-06-04
Feminine StenosrapAers.

Feniaine SteaograpAers.
Did you ever have anything to do
with woman stenographer? If so,
you know that where there Is one self
respecting, work-respecting, money
making, successful, acceptable servant
in that line. as we are all servants In
some line, there are dozen who, for
getting themselves. forgetting their
occupation, forgetting the object for
which they are sought. utilize their un-
questionable art far up along the line
of intellectual endeavor. simply as .
hinge on which to turn fer Irritation,
for q boy and girl give and take init
macy. SO that men of real industrious
habits and end-seeking desire say
nearly every time, aOh, thunder! 1
would darned sight rather do the
work myself than be bothered with q
woman" / wonder if / make myself
clearly understood. wonder if draw
the line between the women who do
work industriously, conscientiously, in
telligently, honestly, and successfully,
and those who, like my friend in the
telegraph Office, are surly and indif-
ferent and unpleasant, and others too,
who are equally Objectionable and don't
know the difference between q woman
who is sought for herself and woman
who is sought for her art.
have utilized stenographers for ten
years and l have utilized telegraphers
for over twenty years, and the conclu-
sion / have come to about women in
both lines is this, that, take them by
and large, many of them are no use,
and the why and wherefore is very
simple and plain. It is, because, first,
they expect to get married, and regard
their work as mere means to that end !;
and second, they insist upon being re-
garded as women rather than as en-
ployes. concede there mental su-
periority as rule. I insist that they
have certain special physical advantages
in the way of manipulative facility, but
am compelled to recognize what is
forced before me. their utter inability
to recognize the supreme authority Of
duty and work over the charms of per
sonaity. 1 suppose there are three
thousand stenographers in New York
city, women, and there are twice as
many telegraphers. Their ranks are
depleted every year by matrimony, and
the one-third who get married of course
Instantly forget all the troubles of life
and swim out in the paradisiacal sea Of
enjoyment, and alleged bliss. The
other two-thirds sulk and grow older
and think it is COMPOUNDED mean that
they too have not the chance that has
been granted their more favored sisters,
and the public has to suffer for it.
The public il not to blame, the public
can't marry everybody, and if there are
more women than there are men, 80
long as the laws against bigamy are en-
forced what can the poor fellows do?
If women would only regard themselves
as entities, put into this world for q
purpose, and that purpose not matri-
mony alone, matrimony being but Q
simple incident to them as we'll as to
their masculine companions, and having
chosen life of work to adhere to it,
being quietly nodded, directed,
swerved, as the case may be, by matri-
mony, as by misfortune, or by good
fortune, or by one of the 10, 900 incidents
liable to happen, they would then have
just as good a chance in working
life as any man has; but until they learn
that when they sit as receivers in
telegraph Office they are not there as
girls, not as women to be firted with,
to be talked to, to be joked with, or if
in the operating room they are to he
held as rigidly to account as the man
who sits next them, or if in the practice
of that marvellous art of stenography
they sit quietly at their desk and do as
they are told without the quick glance
of the bright eye, without the pretty
ways, without any of these Internal in
attentions which characterize so many
women, but simply conduct themselves
as the machine true stenographer is,
turning out from the hand what they
take in at the ear, there is no reason
why they should not succeed as we'll as
the man who operates by their side
Boston Globe.